Thursday, March 28, 2024

Apple iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Should you upgrade?

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The old adage “better than late than never” has never been so eagerly applied — the iPhone 12 range has arrived, having missed its usual launch window of Apple’s September event. But it was definitely worth waiting for, as the iPhone 12 takes Apple’s celebrated phone range to a new high, complete with a brand new processor, improved camera, and some shiny new color variants. But of all of the iPhones on parade, it’s the iPhone 12 Pro that stands out. Part of the iPhone’s high-powered Pro range, but not as huge as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the iPhone 12 Pro is going to be the high-powered iPhone of choice for many.

But this isn’t the first year we’ve seen an iPhone Pro — last year debuted the iPhone 11 Pro, and many will be wondering whether this year’s model is a big enough step up from the last. If you’re weighing up the options, is the brand new iPhone worth buying over the savings you may find on the older iPhone 11 Pro? Or, if you’re rocking the iPhone 11 Pro already, should you be upgrading right now? We’ve compared the two phones side by side so you know whether the new iPhone is worth the upgrade.

Specs

iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro
Size
TBC
144 x 71.4 x 8.1mm (5.67 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches)
Weight
TBC
188 grams (6.63 ounces)
Screen size
6.1-inch Super Retina OLED
5.8-inch Super Retina OLED
Screen resolution
2532 x 1170 pixels (460 pixels per inch)
2436 x 1125 pixels (458 pixels per inch)
Operating system
iOS 14
iOS 14
Storage
128GB, 256GB
64GB, 256GB, 512GB
MicroSD card slot
No
No
Tap-to-pay services
Apple Pay
Apple Pay
Processor
Apple A14 Bionic
Apple A13 Bionic
RAM
4GB
4GB
Camera
Triple lens 12MP, 12MP wide-angle rear, 12MP telephoto lens, and LiDAR scanner rear; 12MP TrueDepth front
Triple lens 12MP, 12MP wide-angle rear, and 12MP telephoto lens rear; 12MP TrueDepth front
Video
4K up to 60 fps, 1080p at 240 fps
4K up to 60 fps, 1080p at 240 fps
Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0
Ports
Lightning
Lightning
Fingerprint sensor
No, FaceID instead
No, FaceID instead
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Battery
TBC

Fast charging

Qi wireless charging

3,046mAh

18W fast charging

Qi wireless charging

App marketplace
Apple App Store
Apple App Store
Network Support
All major carriers
All major carriers
Colors
TBC
Purple, white, yellow, green, black, red
Prices
$999+
$999+
Review score
News
4.5 out of 5 stars

Design, display, and durability

Apple tends to refresh the iPhone’s look every few years, and it’s right on schedule for it to shake things up this year. The iPhone 12 Pro isn’t a massive pivot away from the iPhone 11 Pro, but it is enough of a change that we finally feel we’re looking at a different device from the aged iPhone X design we’ve been looking at for years. The divisive notch has finally been slimmed down, and the edges have been flattened out. It’s reminiscent of the classic iPhone 4, and we quite like it. The iPhone 11 Pro is still a good looking device, but the iPhone 12 Pro wins points simply for being different.

What about the displays then? The iPhone 12 Pro’s display is larger than the iPhone 11 Pro’s display, but thanks to similar resolutions, the sharpness between the two is much the same. Since both are equipped with OLED panels, they both have similarly stunning displays as well.

Both phones have a stainless steel frame, overlaid with glass, and both have an IP68-rating for dust- and water-resistance. However, the iPhone 12 Pro takes a small lead with the new Ceramic Guard glass.

With an edge ahead in design and durability, the iPhone 12 Pro wins this round.

Winner: iPhone 12 Pro

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

iPhones are always blindingly fast, and this new generation is no different. The star of the show is undoubtedly the Apple A14 Bionic processor nestled inside the phone’s case. We first saw this chip in the new iPad Air 4, and it’s likely to be amongst the fastest processors of this generation. However, the iPhone 11 Pro is no slouch, and the A13 Bionic processor isn’t going to be showing its age for a long time yet. It’ll still handle anything you throw at it — though the A14 Bionic will have the advantage.

It’s hard to judge battery life before we’ve had a chance to properly play with the iPhone 12 Pro, but with a battery capacity rumored to be smaller than its predecessor, it might be that the new iPhone won’t showcase the same all-day battery we’ve come to appreciate on the iPhone 11 Pro. Apple may have pulled some software trickery to sidestep this, but for now, we’re marking it as an area of concern. You’ll enjoy the same decent 18W fast charging and Qi wireless charging on both iPhones, but keep in mind that the new iPhone doesn’t come with a charging block.

The iPhone 12 Pro’s new processor is stunning, but we have questions regarding the battery life. Until we’ve had a chance to test the iPhone 12 Pro’s battery out, we’re making this a tie.

Winner: Tie

Cameras

iPhones traditionally have some of the best camera phones available, and we’re expecting the iPhone 12 Pro to be no different. The iPhone 11 Pro set a new high standard for smartphone photography when it launched, and its three 12-megapixel lenses take some incredible still images. Apple beefed it up even further with the addition of software like Smart HDR, leading to a camera that eventually took a throne as the best camera phone.

The iPhone 12 Pro takes that same triple-lens camera system and ramps it up even further, adding an improved telephoto lens with a 2.5x optical zoom and a LiDAR scanner. Apple also added other software tricks to its new iPhones, and while some of those will be coming to older iPhones as well, it’s going to be impossible to emulate the enhanced zoom and LiDAR function without the specific hardware.

Both Pro iPhones will be able to capture video at similar levels, including 4K video at 60 frames per second, but the iPhone 12 Pro has an advantage with a low-light video mode, Dolby Vision, and HDR. We might not have had a chance to play with the iPhone 12 Pro yet, but we can tell it’s going to be a stunner.

Winner: iPhone 12 Pro

Software and updates

Corey Gaskin / Digital Trends

Both of these titans run Apple’s latest iOS 14, and it’s an excellent piece of software that adds a lot of new tricks, including support for home screen widgets. Since it’s Apple running the show, both are likely to get updates at about the same time as well. Usually, we’d give the newer phone a slight edge for update longevity, but Apple supports iPhones for so long that you might be upgrading before either phone runs out of updates. It’s a dead tie.

Winner: Tie

Special features

iPhones aren’t generally known for their special features, as Apple tends to prefer perfecting new features before it pushes them out. However, you’ll still find a decent swathe of features on both of these, including the artificial intelligence (A.I.) assistant Siri and her Shortcuts, the Face ID-powered Animojis and Memojis, and Face ID itself. However, the iPhone 12 Pro really pushes it to the next level with the addition of 5G. The next generation of mobile networks is going to be vital for a smartphone’s longevity in the coming years, and phones without it will seem dreadfully slow in comparison. The addition of 5G means the iPhone 12 Pro wins here.

Winner: iPhone 12 Pro

Price and availability

The iPhone 12 Pro will be available for pre-order from November 6 and will release on November 13. Prices for it start from $999. As it’s an iPhone, it’ll work on pretty much every network, and you’ll struggle to find a phone shop that won’t sell it.

The iPhone 11 Pro is currently available for general sale. As with the new iPhone, the iPhone 11 Pro is available pretty much everywhere.

Overall winner: iPhone 12 Pro

If you’re looking for a new, top-of-the-range iPhone, then there’s only one choice: The iPhone 12 Pro. As you might expect, Apple’s new iPhone beats last year’s hands down, improving in most areas and putting on something of a clinic. If you’re buying a new phone and don’t know whether to buy an iPhone 11 Pro now or wait for an iPhone 12 Pro, the answer is simple: Wait.

But if you’re already using an iPhone 11 Pro, there’s not actually much here to upgrade for. Sure, the iPhone 12 Pro is more powerful and probably has a more capable camera — but your iPhone 11 Pro is still very powerful and has an amazing camera already. Is it really worth the effort to upgrade when you could wait for the iPhone 13 or even the iPhone 14?

But even if you’re not going to be upgrading, it’s clear there’s a new iPhone boss in town — the iPhone 12 Pro.

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